Track-brace.



O. MAUNDERS,

TRACK BRAOE.

APPLICATION FILED umza, 1910.

' 974,41 1. Patented Nov, 1, 1910.

2 SHEETSBHEET 1.

O. MAUNDERS.

TRACK BBAGE.

APPLICIATIOII FILED APR. 2%, 1910..

Rammed-Nov. 1, 1910.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UN Eliliililhlfs QHARLES IVIAUNDERS,

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that l. CHARLES lifiionenns, citizen of the United States, residing at Minot, in the county of 3V: d and State oi North Dakota, lmve invented certain n and useful liuprm'en'ients in 'lrnck-llrsces of which the following is s mciiicetii'in.

The present invention coingrehends certain new and useful improvements in track equipment/for railways, and the invention has for its object an improved track orace which extends transversely between the rails and is securely engaged therewith whereby to prevent the rails from spreading apart and to maintain the proper of the track.

Another object of the invention i. a trs l: b nce which. is designed particularly for use in connecting the nice? J nds of the rails, and which provid 'v enicient oints- A further object 01 one inventi" vice of this elmi'scterwhich n .iuw' applied to the rails and u'li not quire suhseifnient attention, a rial occur oiny being thus effected in the st o struction and sintenance c" the lVith the; and other o its i) will more My proceeds, theinve' l constructions, coinlination ments of the parts, that I shall he fully describe and claim. 4

l? or a full understan 1g of the. invention and the iner' s thcreo .nd to 2 quire a knowledge of the detsis eons-o notion.

l reference is to be had to the folio sorip'tion and mrcoinpanying drrlwings,"in which:

Figure 1 is sectional perspective View illustrating the application of my improved track brace; .i ig. 2 is a her-mental section;

F g. 3 is n section on the line 21-43 of Fig. 2; and Fig, at is :i detail perspective view of one of the Li-shaped clips detached.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views ofithe drawings by the same reference characters.

For the purpose oft illustration the present invention is 'iown and described in conneclion with a rnilnn track consisting of a pair of rails 1 and the usual Wooden cross ties 2.

The imp i I subject inst elongated o OF IG/IINGT,

site the joint t T @FFICE.

1910. Eerie No.

, te The ease Pliilp LS constructed of any ole metal and may he of any suitable thickness and Width in. order to possess the necessery rigidity and durability. The end. portions of the base plate project upwardly end constitute Wings 4 which conform to the contour and lie snugly against the outer sides of the rails 1. Although the track brace may be advantageously employed at points intermediate of the ends of the rails, it is preferably placed at the joints, as shown in the drawings, so that the Wings 4 span seid joints. In this instance the meeting ends of the rnils'ere Well supported upon the base p ce and thus low joints ire avoided En ch win formed in its outer face with reinforcing rib 5 that is located oppostrergthen the structure at t i the Wing lies e scent rail. tended longitudihe rails, as shown, as hearing thereegainst. 6 lo suoeriinposed n the rails and this id th is d to constitute W3 somewhat shorter x rtue of which err- ,L

i supported in the Wings 4. and hesnugly if -1 1 e "1 n t i. 1.:J OL 16 I lulq. lilo opposed winds (at the nd scent endssof the l dates coi'iper 8 to form, in effect, chairs in respective rails are seated, the being thus effectually held in proper d elation to maintain the desired gage of the lflClK. The Wings 7 have a similar contour to the Wings i and are extended lon gitudineiiy their upper ends and are provided with reinforcing ribs .hopposite the joints.

Intermedi' is of its ends and preferably in proximity to its middle point the pl efi is rigidly secured to the base plate 3 in any suitable manner, as for instance by being Welded. A spike i0 is inserted, through registering apertures the middle portions of the plates and is driven into the cross tie The function of the spike is to secure a track base in pee ennd also ti 6 ogether.

' em t. of

openings in the web portions of the meetin ends of the rails. Bolts 12 are passed through the intermediate openin 's of the l Asa further means for connecting the meeting ends of the rails, I employ a U shaped "clip that includes a splice bar 14 which lies longitudinally against the outer face of the wing at and is suitably curved or bent intermediate of its ends, as indicated at 15, to embrace the rib 5. The bar is formed with a plurality of sockets 16 into which the respective nuts 13 are fitted so as to be held against. turning movement on the bolts, the sockets being preferably elongated, as shown, so as to compensate for expansion and contraction of the parts. At the oppo site ends of the bar are substantially perpendicularl disposed threaded stems 17 that passt rough the extreme openings 11 of the series and are engaged by nuts 18 that are tightened up against the wing 7. The extremities of the threaded stems are split, as indicated at 19, and are formed with interiorly threaded sockets 20.' The nuts 18 are screwed up past the split extremities, and threaded plugs 21 are then inserted in the sockets 20, the plugs having a slightly tapered contour, whereby to expand the spit extremities of the stems and thus effectually prevent the nuts 18 from becoming accidentally detached. At their outer ends the plugs are provided with relatively small angular heads 22 to which a wrench may be fitted to turn the plugs. If desired the heads may be also formed with suitable openings to admit of the plugs being manipu ated by a screw driver, To retain each plug against loosening movement I provide a pin 23 that is inserted through transverse apertures in the plug and the stem. The ends of the pins are upset and may be sub stantially hidden from view, if desired, by upsetting the threads of the stems thereover.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that I have provided an improved track brace. which materially reinforces the track and also serves to positively hold the rails in proper spaced rela tion and to prevent the same from tilting laterally. The brace is thoroughly practical and possesses to a marked degree durability and strength. When applied at the rail V joints the brace establishes a very rigid union between the rail ends. Attention is partlcularly directed to the fact that all of the nuts are locked against loosening movement, andhence, the necessity of employing track walkers to keep the nuts tightenedup, is avo ded,

It is to be underslnod that the co-acting wings or fish plates which lie against oppd Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a rail joint having bolts for securing together the meeting ends of the rails, means for locking all of the nuts on the bolts,sa1d means spanning the joint and being fixed to the rail ends to assist in tying the same together.

2. In'a rail joint having bolts for securing together the meeting ends of the rails, means for locking the nuts on the bolts, said locking means spanning the joint and being provided with angularly disposed stems'secured through the respective rail ends.

3. In a rail joint having bolts for securing together the meeting ends of the rails, a bar lying against one side of the rails ,and formed with sockets in which the nuts on the bolts are received and locked, and" means for fixingthe bar to the respective rail ends, whereby to assist in tying the rail endstogether.

i. The combination With a track brace having a p an of co-acting wings to fit against oppbsite sides of an interposed rail, a splice bar lying against the outer face of one of the wings and formed with a plurality of sockets, the splice bar having stems secured through both of the Wings and the interposed rail, a plurality of bolts passing through the wings and the rail, anda plu-- one of said wings being formed in its outer face with a reinforcing rib, a splice bar lying against the outer face of the last named wing and bowed intermediate of its ends to embrace the rib, the splice bar having a plurality of sockets and also having stems secured through both of the wings and the interposed rail, a plurality of bolts passing through the Wings and rail, and nuts working on the bolts and received in tive sockets in the splice bar and in against turning movement.

I 6. In arail joint, the combination with the meeting ends of the rails, members fitting against opposite'sides of the rails and spanning the joint,a splice bar lying against the respecheld therethe outer face of one of the members and having angularly disposed stems secured through both of the members and through the respective rail ends, the splice her being formed with a plurality of sockets, bolts passing'through the members and the rail ends, andthe nuts working on the bolts and received in the respective sockets in the 'against turning movement, the splice bar I splice bar and'held therein against turning I having a-ngularly disposed stems passing movement. transversely through the members and the 7. In a rail joint, the combination with i rail ends, nuts working threaded on the exthe meeting ends of the rails, of members fittremities of the stems, and locking means for ting against opposite sides of the rails and holding the last-named nuts against loosenspanning the joint, bolts passing throu h ing movement. the members and the interposed rail enus, In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature 20 nuts Workingf on the bos in abutting relain presence of two witnesses. tion to one 0 the mem rs, a sp ice bar lyi ing against the outer face of the last named. i CHARLES MAUNDERS' member and formed with a plurality of \Vitnesses': sockets receiving the nuts to hold the same CHARLES HAVILL,

D. 'W Bowman. 

